Holt package arrived!

February 28, 2009

So Monday I go to the Police Department to get my police check. I'm quite certain that my wheels won't be on my car when I get back to it judging by the crowd hanging out in the parking lot! And no, I didn't see one officer. There's a line of about 20 people. I had given myself 2 hours to get this piece of paper. After no one was processed in 10 minutes, I decide I'm coming back. Go back today at 8:25 (they open at 8:30) stand in the 25 degree weather and down my coffee in record time. I was in my car with my clean record at 8:40! GREAT! The guy next to me asked me what "slander" meant. Yikes - sorry about his bad luck!

This morning I have an email update from Holt! I can't read it fast enough. They sent me about 20 pages single spaced on what to do now. The good news is we have a lot of it completed already as I did a lot of internet research on what to get for our dossier (that's adoption talk for the package we send to Thailand via Holt). The bad news is there's been a huge interest in Thailand since January so they've actually run out of adoption guidebooks to send out! That could cause a delay! Of course, the competitor in me comes out a bit here, I'm like ok fine - we just have to beat all those people in completing our home study and dossier. First one to turn in all the papers is the next one on the waiting list! Home study paperwork is nearly collected - we have to get our medical checks and have some more meetings. It will truly come down to how much time our social worker has to spend on our write-up. Since we can't control that, we don't worry about that! In our spare time, we're pouring through adoption information so we hit our education requirements for the home study.

The boys continue to talk about it all the time! Matt is already talking about which car we're taking to the airport as if we're going next week. With our track record in cars, it will be something that we don't currently own!

There's a family in Thailand right now adopting their little girl Olivia through the same process we're going through. They are updating their blog everyday. It is very exciting to read knowing that will be us someday!

Home Study Meeting #1

February 22, 2008

Today we had our first home study meeting. It was painless. Why are you adopting? History of Chris and Terri. Tell me about your kids. The social worker is great and very honest - I like her - she will tell it to us straight! One meeting down three to go. Have meetings scheduled for 3/3 and 3/6 with her. The good news is we've made great progress with the paperwork. The bad news is she gave us a lot more papers to fill out! We have doctor appointments scheduled and we knocked out a lot of her forms yesterday. We still have to fill out our personal interviews and get results from having background checks, fingerprinting checks, medical checks, court checks, personal references, credit references, etc.

The bottom line here is we should be done by Mid-April, which means by May, we'll be on a waiting list!

UPS vs. Snail Mail

February 19, 2008

Yesterday the UPS guy almost got more than he ever wanted when he delivered the certified copies of our marriage certificate. It arrived within one week. I was told to expect to wait 4 weeks. Although I was willing to kill a day to drive to Frankfort to pick one up if we were waiting on it to finish our home study, I didn't want to.

Just got an email from Holt - our adoption agreement has been processed. They are mailing me an adoption process guidebook. You guessed it - snail mailing it. I'm thinking I should send them 10 prepaid UPS envelopes so we can eliminate this 4 day mail thing they like so much. Guessing that will arrive Fri/Sat, which is great as it sounds like it will take some time to read.

Right now everything is going great with the process.

Matt told his entire class today that we were getting his sister from Thailand. The boys are very excited - Matt and Mark are both pumped that they get to miss 2 weeks of school if the timing is right.

Chris was grinning at the teeny tiny pink crocs with fur the other day in the store (even pointed them out to me). I'm sure Little M will be bigger than those shoes but it was very great to see him ooh-ing and aah-ing over pink shoes. He denies it 100%, but the man is already whipped! I don't deny it.

Boy are we in for it!!!